Follow UsSix and out. It was Déjà vu for Liam Livingstone in the third ODI at Old Trafford as the explosive batter, for the second game running, perished to the bowling of Hardik Pandya immediately after depositing the right-armer into the stands. On Sunday, Pandya, just like he did at Lord’s, kept bowling short to Livingstone, encouraging the batter to take him on, and the tactic worked like magic as Livingstone cracked.
Partly, Livingstone perished due to his own ego, but the dismissal was also a direct consequence of Pandya being brave enough to put the ball where the batter wants it, forcing him to go for the big hit.
“I don't mind getting hit for six sixes as long as I take wickets,” Pandya said at the end of the third ODI, giving a sneak peak into his thought process as a bowler.
“I don't fancy people taking me on, it always gets me into the game,” he said, before adding that he loves bowling short.
But while the Livingstone wicket was a result of Pandya’s bravery, it was discipline that landed him rewards in his first spell, where he accounted for the wickets of Jason Roy and Ben Stokes. The all-rounder bowled three maidens in his first four overs, and at one point had astonishing figures of 4-3-2-2.
He revealed that with England cruising, all he had in mind was to choke the hosts by bowling tight lines.
“Was important for me to stop the runs, bowl as many dot balls. They were cruising at one point,” he said.
Pandya ran through England with the ball, but he would later go on to also wreak havoc with the bat in hand. India lost their first three wickets for just 38 runs, but Pandya launched a scathing counter-attack as he amassed 71 off just 55 balls. He was involved in a 133-run stand with Rishabh Pant that turned the game on its head.
Pandya lavished praise on Pant, who struck his maiden ODI ton, and asserted that his partnership with the southpaw took the game away from England.
“We all know what talent he (Pant) has. Finally today he was playing the situation. The partnership changed the game for us. The way he finished the game was also special.”